Saints Soter (175 A.D.) and Caius (296 A.D.), Popes and Martyrs

 

 

The Martyrdom of Pope Caius (San Gaggio). By Lorenzo Monaco (Lorenzo di Giovanni), ca. 1394-5. Originally part of altarpiece of church of San Gaggio in Florence. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

April 22
SAINTS SOTER AND CAIUS
Popes and Martyrs

SIMPLE / RED
In 166 Soter succeeded Pope Anicetus on the Throne of St. Peter and was martyred some ten years later. Pope Soter was solicitous for the poor, and he consoled with the tenderness of a father the Christians who suffered persecution for their beliefs. Pope Caius, who died about the year 296, is said to have been a Dalmatian. Like all the Vicars of Christ in the first centuries, St. Soter and St. Caius were constant in uniting their sufferings to those of the Divine Redeemer and "in Him bore much fruit".

Introit
John 21:15-17
If thou lovest me, Simon Peter, feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Allelúja, allelúja
Ps 29:2
I will extol thee, O Lord, for thou hast upheld me: and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
If thou lovest me, Simon Peter, feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Allelúja, allelúja.

GLORIA

COLLECT
Look forgivingly on thy flock, Eternal Shepherd, and keep it in thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Soter and Cajus thy Martyrs and Sovereign Pontiffs, whom thou didst constitute Shepherds of the whole Church.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Lesson
Lesson from the first letter of St Peter the Apostle
1 Pet 5:1-4; 5:10-11.
Dearly beloved brethren: The ancients therefore that are among you, I beseech, who am myself also an ancient, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ: as also a partaker of that glory which is to be revealed in time to come: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking care of it, not by constraint, but willingly, according to God: not for filthy lucre's sake, but voluntarily: Neither as lording it over the clergy, but being made a pattern of the flock from the heart. And when the prince of pastors shall appear, you shall receive a never fading crown of glory. But the God of all grace, who hath called us into his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will himself perfect you, and confirm you, and establish you. To him be glory and empire for ever and ever. 

Alleluia
Allelúja, allelúja
Matt 16:18
And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church
Ps 44:17-18.
Thou shalt make them princes over all the earth. They shall remember thy name throughout all generations. Therefore shall people praise thee for ever; yea, for ever and ever. Allelúja.

GOSPEL
Continuation ✝ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Matt 16:13-19
In that time: Jesus came into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is? But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.

Offertory
Jer 1:9-10
Behold I have given my words in thy mouth: Lo, I have set thee over the nations, and over the kingdoms, to root up, and pull down, and to waste, and to destroy, and to build, and to plant. Allelúja. 

SECRET

By the offered gifts we beseech thee, O Lord, that thou kindly enlighten thy Church, so that thy flock may everywhere progress and prosper, and thy shepherds, under thy guidance may be pleasing to thy name.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Communion
Matt 16:18
Thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Allelúja.

POSTCOMMUNION 

Being appeased, O Lord, guide thy Church, which has been nourished by holy refreshment, that under thy direction and powerful rule it may receive increase of liberty and may continue in religious integrity.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Third Sunday After Easter; SAINT ANSELM (1109 A.D.) Bishop and Doctor of the Church; SAINT MALRUBIUS (Máel Ruba) (722 A.D.) Abbot

 

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER

[Commemoration]

SAINT ANSELM
Bishop and Doctor of the Church

 

 

 

SAINT MALRUBIUS (Máel Ruba)

Abbot

 

INTROIT Ps. 65:1-2
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth, alleluia, alleluia! Sing a psalm to the glory of His name, Alleluia, Proclaim His glorious praise, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 65:3. Say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds, O Lord! because of Your great strength Your enemies cringe before You."
V. Glory be . . .

GLORIA

COLLECT
Show us the light of Your truth, O God, which guides the sinner back to th epath of justice. Let those who profess to be Christians avoid whatever will endanger their faith, and follow those things which will help it. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of ST. ANSELM

Anselm (c. 1033-1109), an Italian, studied at the Abbey of Bec in Normandy, and there became a Benedictine monk. Anselm was an original and profound thinker and because of his writings he is considered the father of Scholasticism. He later became Archbishop of Canterbury in England. He suffered much at the hands of Kings William II and Henry I, who persisted in encroaching on the spiritual jurisdiction belonging to the Church alone.

 

O God, may blessed Anselm intercede for us in heaven as he once instructed Your faithful on earth and directed them in the way of eternal salvation. 

Commemoration of SAINT MALRUBIUS (Máel Ruba)

Máel Ruba (c. 642–722) is an Irish saint of the Christian Church who was active in Scotland. Originally from Bangor, County Down, Ireland, he was a monk and founded the monastic community of Applecross in Ross, one of the best attested early Christian monasteries in what is now Scotland. Forms of his name include Máelrubai (Old Irish spelling), Maol Rubha (MoRubha/MaRuibhe) (Scottish Gaelic spelling), or Malruibhe, and it is sometimes latinised as Rufus. [WIKIPEDIA.ORG]

 

May the intercession of blessed Malrubius the Abbot, commend us unto Thee, O Lord, so that what we cannot acquire by ant merits of ours, we may obtain by his patronage. Through Our Lord . . .

EPISTLE I Peter 2:11-19.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, to refrain yourselves from carnal desires which war against the soul, Having your conversation good among the Gentiles: that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by the good works which they shall behold in you, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Be ye subject therefore to every human creature for God's sake: whether it be to the king as excelling, Or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of the good. For so is the will of God, that by doing well you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free and not as making liberty a cloak for malice, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle but also to the forward. For this is thankworthy: if, for conscience towards God, a man endure sorrows, suffering wrongfully.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 110:9
The Lord has sent deliverance to His people. Alleluia!
V. Luke 24:26. Thus Christ should suffer and should rise again from the dead and should enter into His glory. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 16:16-22.
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: "A little while, and now you shall not see Me: and again a little while, and you shall see Me: because I go to the Father." Then some of his disciples said one to another: "What is this that he saith to us: A little while, and you shall not see me: and again a little while, and you shall see me, and, Because I go to the Father?" They said therefore: "What is this that he saith, A little while? We know not what he speaketh."
And Jesus knew that they had a mind to ask him. And he said to them: "Of this do you inquire among yourselves, because I said: A little while, and you shall not see Me; and again a little while, and you shall see Me? Amen, amen, I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice: and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labour, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. So also you now indeed have sorrow: but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice. And your joy no man shall take from you."

CREED

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 145:2
Praise the Lord, O my soul; I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live, alleluia!

SECRET
May this sacred rite help us to overcome our earthly desires, O Lord, and teach us to love the things of heaven. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of ST. ANSELM

O Lord, let the blessed bishop and doctor Anselm always help us, and through his intercession accept our offering and pardon our sins.

 

Commemoration of SAINT MALRUBIUS (Máel Ruba)

 May the holy Abbot Malrubius, we beseech Thee, O Lord, obtain by his prayers, that the sacrifice laid on Thy holy altar may profit us unto salvation. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 16:16
A little while and you shall see Me no longer, alleluia! and again a little while and you shall see Me, because I go to the Father, alleluia, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may the Sacrament which we have received strengthen us in spirit and comfort us in body. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of ST. ANSELM
O Lord, may this sacrifice bring us closer to our salvation through the intercession of Your blessed bishop and illustrious doctor Anselm.

 

Commemoration of SAINT MALRUBIUS (Máel Ruba) 

May the pleading of blessed Malrubius the Abbot, for us, as well as the reception of Thy Sacrament, protect us, O Lord, that we may both share in the glory of his works and receive the help of his intercession. Through our Lord . . . 

 

April 20 Sanctae Mariae Sabbato OUR LADY'S SATURDAY; St. Agnes of Montepulciano; Saint Marcellinus

 

Sanctae Mariae Sabbato

OUR LADY'S SATURDAY

Introit
Sedelius
Hail Holy Parent, who didst bring forth the King, who rules heaven and earth forever, allelúja, allelúja.
Ps 44:2
My heart hath uttered a good word I speak my works to the king; My tongue is the pen of a scrivener that writeth swiftly.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Hail Holy Parent, who didst bring forth the King, who rules heaven and earth forever, allelúja, allelúja.

 

GLORIA

 

Collect
Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord God, unto all thy servants, that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness both of mind and body, and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness, and enter into the joy of thine eternal gladness.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Lesson
Lesson from the book of Ecclesiasticus
Sir 24:14-16
From the beginning, and before the world, was I created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy dwelling place I have ministered before him. And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem. And I took root in an honourable people, and in the portion of my God his inheritance, and my abode is in the full assembly of saints.

 

Alleluia
Allelúja, allelúja.
Num 17:8
The rod of Jesse had blossomed, virgin hath brought forth God and man: God hath restored peace, reconciling in himself the lowest with the highest, alleluia.
Luke 1:28
Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Allelúja.

 

Gospel
Continuation +︎ of the Holy Gospel according to John
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
John 19:25-27
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son. After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own. 

 

Offertory
Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, who didst bear the Creator of all things, thou didst bring forth who made thee, and remainest a virgin forever. Alleluia. 

 

Communion
Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary, which bore the Son of Eternal Father, alleluia. 

 

Post Communion
Grant, O Lord, that we who have partaken of aids of salvation, may be everywhere defended by the intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, in whose honor we have offered these gifts to thy majesty.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen. 

 

St. Agnes of Montepulciano

Born in the neighbourhood of Montepulciano in Tuscany about 1268; died there 1317. At the age of nine years she entered a monastery. Four years later she was commissioned by Pope Nicholas IV to assist in the foundation of a monastery at Proceno, and became its prioress at the age of fifteen. At the entreaty of the citizens of her native town, she established (1298) the celebrated convent of Dominican nuns at Montepulciano which she governed until the time of her death. She was canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726. Her feast is celebrated on 20 April.

(Taken from Catholic Encyclopedia)

Saint Marcellinus
Bishop of Embrun
(† 374)

Saint Marcellinus was born in Africa of a noble family; with two other Christians desiring to evangelize Gaul, Vincent and Domninus, he went to Pope Saint Damasus. The young men were sent to Eusebius, bishop of Verceil, who encouraged them for their mission and announced to them that they would have much to suffer. The three were ordained, and Marcellinus was consecrated bishop of Embrun by Eusebius and the bishop of Valencia. The gift of miracles fortified the preaching of Marcellinus at Embrun, in a region bordering on the Alps, while his companions continued their labors at Digne. Saint Domninus was later consecrated bishop of Digne by Saint Marcellinus, and energetically protected his flock from the errors of Arius; eventually Saint Vincent succeeded him there.

Marcellinus built at Embrun a chapel in which he passed his nights in prayer, after laboring all day in the exercise of his sacred calling. By his pious example, as well as by his earnest words and his miracles, he converted many of the pagans among whom he lived. A striking miracle, added to these influences, brought the entire population of Embrun into the church, with the exception of one idolater, who later also abandoned his gods. The waters in the nearby baptistry were increased, without the human intervention which had been proposed, to accommodate great numbers of catechumens who, during the feast of Christmas, would be baptized. The same event occurred again at Easter, and the sick were healed by the waters. For as long as the ancient baptistry remained standing, the miracle was renewed, as Saint Gregory of Tours and Saint Adon of Vienne attest — that is, for more than five hundred years.

Saint Marcellinus died at Embrun about the year 374, and was interred there. Saint Gregory of Tours, who speaks of him in terms of highest praise, narrates some of the countless miracles which multiplied at his tomb.

Reflection. Though you may not be called upon to preach, endeavor to give good example, remembering that deeds often speak louder than words.

Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on Butler's Lives of the Saints and other sources by John Gilmary Shea (Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894)

 

 

April 19th Ferial Day, Saint Elphege (1012 A.D.); Saint Leo IX (1054 A.D.)

 

April 19

FERIAL DAY

(Mass of preceding Sunday)

[Requiem or Votive Mass allowed]

SAINT ELPHEGE
Bishop & Martyr
[Historical]

SAINT LEO IX
Pope
[Historical]

INTROIT 
Ps. 32:5-6The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord, alleluia! By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 32:1. Rejoice in the Lord, you just; praise befits the upright.
V. Glory Be . . .

COLLECT
You raised up our fallen world, O God, by the humiliation of Your own Son. May we, Your faithful people, be always joyful on earth, and, by being rescued from the danger of eternal death, come to everlasting happiness in heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

EPISTLE I Peter 2:21-25
Beloved: Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth." When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Alleluia, alleluia. V. Luke 24:33
The disciples recognized the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread. Alleluia!
V. John 10:14. I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and mine know me. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 10:11-16.
At that time, Jesus said to the Pharisees: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
"I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 62:2, 5
O God, my God, for You do I watch at the break of day; and I lift up my hands in Your name, alleluia!

SECRET
May this holy offering bring us the blessing of salvation, O Lord, and may the mystery of the sacrifice which we here perform, work its effect in us. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 10:14
I am the good shepherd, alleluia!
And I Know my sheep, and mine know me, alleluia, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION
O Almighty God, may we always proudly rejoice in Your Gift of grace, which has brought us back to life again. Through Our Lord . . .

 

 

A 15th-century illuminated manuscript showing Ælfheah being asked for advice

[wikipedia.org image]

 

Ælfheah^[a][b] (c. 953 – 19 April 1012), more commonly known today as Alphege, was an Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Winchester, later Archbishop of Canterbury. He became an anchorite before being elected abbot of Bath Abbey. His reputation for piety and sanctity led to his promotion to the episcopate and, eventually, to his becoming archbishop. Ælfheah furthered the cult of Dunstan and also encouraged learning. He was captured by Viking raiders in 1011 during the siege of Canterbury and killed by them the following year after refusing to allow himself to be ransomed. Ælfheah was canonised as a saint in 1078. Thomas Becket, a later Archbishop of Canterbury, prayed to him just before his own murder in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170.  

 

Pope Leo IX (21 June 1002 – 19 April 1054), born Bruno von Egisheim-Dagsburg, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 February 1049 to his death in 1054.^[1] Leo IX is considered to be one of the most historically significant popes of the Middle Ages; he was instrumental in the precipitation of the Great Schism of 1054, considered the turning point in which the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches formally separated.

Leo IX favored traditional morality in his reformation of the Catholic Church. One of his first public acts was to hold the Easter synod of 1049; he joined Emperor Henry III in Saxony and accompanied him to Cologne and Aachen. He also summoned a meeting of the higher clergy in Reims in which several important reforming decrees were passed. At Mainz he held a council at which the Italian and French as well as the German clergy were represented, and ambassadors of the Byzantine emperor were present. Here too, simony and the marriage of the clergy were the principal matters dealt with. He is regarded as a saint by the Catholic Church, his feast day celebrated on 19 April.^[2]

 

APRIL 18 FERIAL DAY; SAINT APOLLONIUS, MARTYR (185 A.D.)

 

 by Zdzisław Jsiński (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

April 18

FERIAL DAY

(Mass of preceding Sunday)
[Requiem or Votive Mass allowed]

SAINT APOLLONIUS

Martyr 
(Historical)

INTROIT 
Ps. 32:5-6The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord, alleluia! By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 32:1. Rejoice in the Lord, you just; praise befits the upright.
V. Glory Be . . .

COLLECT
You raised up our fallen world, O God, by the humiliation of Your own Son. May we, Your faithful people, be always joyful on earth, and, by being rescued from the danger of eternal death, come to everlasting happiness in heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

EPISTLE I Peter 2:21-25
Beloved: Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth." When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Alleluia, alleluia. V. Luke 24:33
The disciples recognized the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread. Alleluia!
V. John 10:14. I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and mine know me. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 10:11-16.
At that time, Jesus said to the Pharisees: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
"I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 62:2, 5
O God, my God, for You do I watch at the break of day; and I lift up my hands in Your name, alleluia!

SECRET
May this holy offering bring us the blessing of salvation, O Lord, and may the mystery of the sacrifice which we here perform, work its effect in us. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 10:14
I am the good shepherd, alleluia!
And I Know my sheep, and mine know me, alleluia, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION
O Almighty God, may we always proudly rejoice in Your Gift of grace, which has brought us back to life again. Through Our Lord . . .

 

 

 

St. Apollonius the Apologist

Martyr whose Apologia or defense of the faith, is called one of the most priceless documents of the early Church. Apollonius was a Roman senator who was denounced as a Christian by one of his slaves. The Praetorian prefect, Sextus Tigidius Perenis, arrested him, also putting the slave to death as an informer. Perennis demanded that Apollonius denounce the faith, and when he refused, the case was remanded to the Roman senate. There a debate took place between Perennis and Apollonius that clearly outlines the beauty and the value of Christianity. Despite his eloquent defense, Apollonius was condemned and beheaded.

(Taken from Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints)

 

SAINT ANICETUS (175 A.D.) Pope and Martyr; SAINT DONAN AND COMPANIONS (617 A.D.) Martyrs

SAINT ANICETUS
Pope and Martyr

 

pinterest.com image
 

SAINT DONAN 

AND COMPANIONS

Martyrs 

 

SIMPLE / RED
Anicetus, who was of Syrian ancestry, was pope from about the year 152 to the year 160. He took a firm stand against contemporary heresies. Although he did not actually shed his blood for the Faith, he merited the title of Martyr through the sufferings he endured in the government of the persecuted Church.

 

INTROIT John 21: 15-17

Simon Peter, if thou lovest Me, feed
My lambs, feed My sheep. [P.T.
Alleluia, alleluia.] (Ps. 29: 1) I will
extol Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast
upheld me: and hast not made my
enemies to rejoice over me. Glory be
to the Father, and to the Son, and to
the Holy Spirit, as it was in the
beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen. Simon
Peter, if thou lovest Me, feed My
lambs, feed My sheep. Alleluia,
alleluia.

 

GLORIA

 

COLLECT

O Eternal Shepherd, who appointed blessed Anicetus shepherd of the whole Church, let the prayers of this Martyr and Supreme Pontiff move you to look with favor upon Your flock and to keep it under Your continual protection.

 

Commemoration of SAINT DONAN

Saint Donan, also known as Saint Donnán of Eigg, lived from about 550 to 17 April 617. He was probably Irish in origin, and probably of noble birth. He is known for his efforts to introduce Christianity to the Picts of north-west Scotland. Very little remains of him in the written record, but he is remembered in the quite remarkable number of places named after him across large parts of modern Scotland. The only part of his life to have made it into the annals in any detail was his death, when he and 52 of his monks were murdered at their monastery on the Isle of Eigg.

 

We who elevate our souls unto Thee, O Almighty and everlasting God, beseech Thee to forget the faults of  our youth and if, through carelessness, we are delinquent, do Thou, at the intercession of Thy blessed Martyrs Donan and his Companions, vouchsafe mercifully to forgive us. Through our Lord . . .  

 

EPISTLE 1 Peter 5: 1-4, 10-11

Dearly beloved brethren: The ancients therefore that are among you, I beseech, who am myself also an ancient, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ: as also a partaker of that glory which is to be revealed in time to come: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking care of it, not by constraint, but willingly, according to God: not for filthy lucre's sake, but voluntarily: Neither as lording it over the clergy, but being made a pattern of the flock from the heart. And when the prince of pastors shall appear, you shall receive a never fading crown of glory. But the God of all grace, who hath called us into his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will himself perfect you, and confirm you, and establish you. To him be glory and empire for ever and ever. Amen. 

Alleluia
Allelúja, allelúja
Matt 16:18
And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build My Church.
Ps 44:17-18.
Thou shalt make them princes over all the earth. They shall remember thy name throughout all generations. Therefore shall people praise thee for ever; yea, for ever and ever. Allelúja.

 

GOSPEL

Matt 16:13-19
In that time: Jesus came into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is? But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. 

 

OFFERTORY Jeremias 1: 9-10

Behold I have given my words in thy mouth: Lo, I have set thee over the nations, and over the kingdoms, to root up, and pull down, and to waste, and to destroy, and to build, and to plant. Allelúja.

SECRET

We have offered our gifts to You, O Lord. Let Your light graciously shine upon Your Church, so that this flock may everywhere prosper, and its pastors, under Your guidance, may be truly pleasing to You. 

 

Commemoration of SAINT DONAN

Be appeased, we beseech Thee, O Lord, by the gifts now offered, and by the intercession of Thy holy Martyrs blessed Donan and Companions, defend us from all dangers. Through our Lord . . .

 

Communion
Matt 16:18
Thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Allelúja.

 

POSTCOMMUNION

O Lord, govern Your Church, which You have been pleased to nourish with Your heavenly Food. Guide her by Your powerful direction, so that she may enjoy greater freedom and remain unshaken in the fullness of faith. 

Commemoration of SAINT DONAN
May this Communion, O Lord, cleanse us from guilt and through the intercession of Thy holy Martyrs blessed Donan and Companions, make us share in the heavenly healing. Through our Lord . . . 

 

SAINT BENEDICT JOSEPH LABRE (1783 A.D.); SAINT MAGNUS OF ORKNEY (1104 A.D.) Martyr

 

Benedict Joseph Labre depicted by Antonio Cavallucci (1752–1795)

[wikipedia.org]

SAINT BENEDICT JOSEPH LABRE

Confessor

 SAINT MAGNUS OF ORKNEY

Martyr

WHITE

St. Benedict Joseph Labre, born in France (1748) devoted himself from his youth to penance and prayer. Obeying the inspiration from on high he became a pilgrim. With no resources he journeyed to Loreto, Assisi and Rome. The populace treated him as a fool. He spent the last twelve years of his life praying in the sanctuaries of Rome and died on April 16 A.D. 1783.

INTROIT (Jer. 12, 7, Ps. 85)

I have forsaken my home, I have cast off mine inheritance, I am poor and nedy, but the Lord hath taken m up. Alleluia, alleluia. (Ps. 41, 2.) As the hart panteth after the fontains of water, so my soul panteth after Thee, O God. Glory be to the Fasther ...--I have forsaken ...

COLLECT

O God, who didst make Thy holy Confessor Benedict Joseph, by the pursuit of humility and by the love of poverty, cleave unto Thee alone, grant us by the help of his merits, to dispise all earthly things, and ever to seek after those of heaven. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT MAGNUS

St. Magnus, Earl of the Orkney Isles, was a Saint famed for his heroic humility and charity. He was martyred in the Orkneys by pagan Norsemen on April 18, A.D. 1104.

May the excellent merits of holy Magnus, Thy Martyr, defend us, O Lord, and may we, who in those merits proclaim the works of Thy Majesty, obtain through them both present and future help. Through our Lord . . . 

EPISTLE 

(Timothy 6:6-12)

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain.

⁷ For we brought nothing into this world: and certainly we can carry nothing out.

⁸ But having food, and wherewith to be covered, with these we are content.

⁹ For they that will become rich, fall into temptation, and into the snare of the devil, and into many unprofitable and hurtful desires, which drown men into destruction and perdition.

¹⁰ For the desire of money is the root of all evils; which some coveting have erred from the faith, and have entangled themselves in many sorrows.

¹¹ But thou, O man of God, fly these things: and pursue justice, godliness, faith, charity, patience, mildness.

¹² Fight the good fight of faith: lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art called, and hast confessed a good confession before many witnesses.

Alleluia, alleluia. (Ps. 112, 5, 6) Who is as the Lord our God, who dweleth on high, and looketh down on the low things in heaven and in earth? Alleluia. (Ps. 112, 7) Raising up the needy from the earth, and lifting up the poor out of the dunghill. That he may place him with princes, with the princes of His people. Alleluia.

GOSPEL

Matthew (16:24-27)

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

²⁵ For he that will save his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it.

²⁶ For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?

²⁷ For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels: and then will he render to every man according to his works.

OFFERTORY (Heb. 13, 14, 15)

For we have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come. Let us therefore always offer to God, the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips confessing to His name. Alleluia.

SECRET

Most merciful God, graciously look down  upon the gifts we bring  and, giving ear to the prayers of St. Benedict Joseph, Thy Confessor, grant that our offerings may avail us unto salvation. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT MAGNUS

Behold graciously, we beseech Thee, O Lord, these our offerings, that they may be infused with the blessing of the Holy Ghost, and may pour into our hearts that vigorous love which enabled the holy Martyr Magnus to overcome all bodily tortures. Through our Lord . . . 

COMMUNION (Matt. 5, 4, 8)

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God. Alleluia.

POSTCOMMUNION

We have been refreshed, O Lord, by Thy sacred gifts, and beg of Thee the grace to imitate the virtues of Thy holy Confessor Benedict Joseph, on whose merits we rely while we entreat Thy help. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT MAGNUS

O Lord, we have received this heavenly Sacrament, while solemnising Thy holy Martyr Magnus, grant, we beseech Thee, through his prayers that what we now perform in this time we may receive in everlasting joys. Through our Lord . . . 

April 15th Ferial Day

FERIAL DAY

(Mass of preceding Sunday)
[Requiem or Votive Mass allowed]

   WHITE

INTROIT Ps. 32:5-6
The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord, alleluia! By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 32:1. Rejoice in the Lord, you just; praise befits the upright.
V. Glory Be . . .

 

GLORIA

COLLECT
You raised up our fallen world, O God, by the humiliation of Your own Son. May we, Your faithful people, be always joyful on earth, and, by being rescued from the danger of eternal death, come to everlasting happiness in heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

EPISTLE I Peter 2:21-25
Beloved: Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth." When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Alleluia, alleluia. V. Luke 24:33
The disciples recognized the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread. Alleluia!
V. John 10:14. I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and mine know me. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 10:11-16.
At that time, Jesus said to the Pharisees: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
"I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 62:2, 5
O God, my God, for You do I watch at the break of day; and I lift up my hands in Your name, alleluia!

SECRET
May this holy offering bring us the blessing of salvation, O Lord, and may the mystery of the sacrifice which we here perform, work its effect in us. Through Our Lord . . .

 

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 10:14
I am the good shepherd, alleluia!
And I Know my sheep, and mine know me, alleluia, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION
O Almighty God, may we always proudly rejoice in Your Gift of grace, which has brought us back to life again. Through Our Lord . . .

Dr. Joseph Shaw: Traditionis Custodes and the Future of the TLM [video]

 For the return of the ALMS Speaker Series after a winter hiatus, Dr. Joseph Shaw delivered a lecture on Traditionis custodes and the future of the Traditional Latin Mass. Dr. Shaw is a leading advocate for traditional Catholicism, serving as the Chairman of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales since 2009, and the President of the International Federation Una Voce since 2021. 

The Arlington Latin Mass Society proudly became a member chapter of Una Voce in February 2024. If you would like to become a member of our chapter, visit our website: https://latinmassarlington.org/about/... 

Events and speakers like this are only possible with your support. Please prayerfully consider contributing by making a tax-deductible donation to the Arlington Latin Mass Society. https://latinmassarlington.org/donate